President deserves blame for toxic political climate

Dear Editor:

I was not offended by Reverend Tamilio’s thoughtful letter to the editor in last week’s Canton Citizen. On the contrary, I appreciated the sentiment that it is time for Americans to abandon the vitriolic nature of today’s political dialogue to rediscover decency. We seem trapped in an endless loop of insult these days, and the reverend is correct: the course must be corrected or we may never return to form.

What I found to be an oversight on the reverend’s behalf was the failure to mention the leader of the free world’s role in contributing to the toxic nature of American discourse. He mentioned Rosanne Barr (for the record, my most conservative friend found her remark repugnant) on the right, and Samantha Bee and Sally Field on the left. And the list of celebrities who have demeaned themselves with crass political commentary as of late goes on and on. But in the grand scheme of things, these individuals are bit players compared to the massive platform and influence of the American presidency.

Yes, what Samantha Bee said was a cringe-worthy vulgarity that was totally unnecessary and undid the point she was trying to make. But what’s worse: What she said about Ivanka or what was said on that Access Hollywood tape? What about using the power of the presidency to declare African nations and Haiti “sh**holes?” What about calling black athletes protesting unfair treatment “sons of bitches?” What about the constant spew of insults of all variety coming from the president’s Twitter feed?

Reverend Tamilio claims that “The blame lies with us. All of us.” I understand the notion, and there is great truth there, but he has let the president off the hook. Under the guise of rejecting political correctness, the president says whatever he wants with no concern of consequence. (And why would he? Instead of being rebuked, he’s been rewarded with the most powerful position in the world.) His supporters claim this is “real talk,” but I say it’s not acceptable for an American president to speak in such terms. It’s a dangerous and irresponsible signal to American citizens.

To return to our rightful American selves, Reverend Tamilio says, “We need to embrace the Golden Rule.” I couldn’t agree more. Dare I say: someone should teach that rule to the president. He would, of course, dismiss it as some kind of “snowflake” notion on Twitter and then watch as the “likes” pile up.

I agree with the reverend. We are all part of the problem. Part of the solution, however, is to never again elect a political leader like Donald J. Trump into office. He is both a symptom and a cause of the chasm currently dividing Americans.

Sincerely,

Lucien Brodeur

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